Changing the clocks

This Sunday (October 30, 2016) we gain an extra hour in bed as the clocks go back an hour at 2am.

Over the years there has been much debate as to whether the practice is necessary and should continue, with some regarding it as an outdated, quaint tradition. What do you think?

The history

The purpose behind Daylight Saving Time (DST) is to make better use of daylight and to conserve energy.

DST was first used in 1908 in Thunder Bay, Canada, while Germany was the first country to introduce DST in April 1916.

The idea was quickly copied in the UK and many other countries.

Although DST has only been used across countries for 100 years, the idea was conceived many years before, with evidence that ancient civilisations engaged in similar practices.

Daylight Saving Time is now in use in more than 70 countries worldwide and affects more than a billion people every year.

The beginning and end dates vary from one country to another. However, in 1996, the European Union standardized an EU-wide DST schedule, which runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Don’t forget

Clocks spring forward an hour in spring and fall back an hour in autumn